Article by the Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Foreign Policy Abdulaziz Kamilov, published in the “Narodnoye Slovo” (“People’s Word”) newspaper.

The sixth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia, which ended last week in Astana, symbolically summarized the results of the successive chairmanships of all countries in the region over the past six years and launched a new phase of interstate cooperation in this unique format.

For the first time, our countries agreed on a shared vision for the development of regional cooperation – the 2040 Central Asia Concept. This document confirmed the states' commitment to irreversibly and progressively develop regional cooperation. It covered all key areas of interaction, outlined specific practical plans for the future, and determined the forms and mechanisms for their implementation.

In essence, the Astana Summit demonstrated the desire of the region’s states to consistently advance intraregional cooperation and build comprehensive cooperation within the framework of the Central Asian Five.

Since the first meeting in 2018 in Astana, the Central Asian countries have come a long way. It is appropriate to recall all the main stages of how we changed the modern face of Central Asia together, transforming the region into a space of peace and harmony, friendship and good neighborliness, mutual trust and cooperation.

Just seven years ago, our borders were almost completely closed. We witnessed conflicts and minefields in border areas, transport blockades, and high trade barriers.

Endless disputes over the use of water resources, access to pastures, and water management facilities threatened to escalate into open confrontation.

Some regional forces provoked rivalry and competition, generating mistrust and speculating on our common historical heritage. Our disunity made us weaker and deprived us of prospects for consolidation, preventing the region from unlocking its potential in the name of common interests.

All this was fundamentally contrary to the cultural and civilizational values ​​of the Central Asian peoples, who for centuries lived side by side in peace and harmony, professed one religion, shared common customs and traditions, and were connected by thousands of invisible threads.

Moreover, the deepening global crisis of confidence and the escalation of armed conflicts began negatively impacting the region’s stability and sustainable development. In this regard, the understanding grew that the well-being of Uzbekistan, like other countries and peoples of Central Asia, depends on joint efforts to strengthen cooperation and readiness to jointly promote the interests of ensuring security and sustainable development of the region.

It must be recognized that the leader who acutely felt the maturing public demand for fundamental changes, solving accumulated problems, fundamentally breaking out of outdated approaches to building relations with neighbors, became the new President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Leader of Uzbekistan formulated a new comprehensive Foreign Policy Doctrine. It defines Uzbekistan’s vision and approaches to current international and regional security issues, modern challenges and threats, the formation of a new world order, etc.

The Doctrine envisages the development of multifaceted cooperation with developed countries based on equality, mutual respect, trust, and consideration of each other’s interests. Particular attention is paid to maintaining a consistent political dialogue with the leading states of Asia, Europe, America, and Africa and authoritative international organizations.

The President of Uzbekistan has defined the Central Asian region as the main priority area of ​​Uzbekistan’s foreign policy in this Doctrine. Achieving “zero problems with neighbors” has been put at the forefront. The conceptual basis of regional policy is the principles of the inadmissibility of strengthening one’s security at the expense of the security of other states, openness, pragmatism, constructivism, proactive dialogue based on equality, mutual respect, and consideration of interests.

Uzbekistan objectively bears special responsibility for the future of Central Asia. This is dictated by the fact that we share common borders with all the region’s countries. Over half of Central Asia’s population and large communities of all the region’s peoples live here. Almost all vital issues of Uzbekistan’s development – from water to transport corridors, regional security, and trade – depend on good-neighborly and predictable relations with neighboring countries.

That is why, in his first address to Parliament in 2016, the President of Uzbekistan clearly outlined priorities, first strengthening relations with Central Asian countries. “The main priority of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy is the Central Asian region, with which our country’s national interests are linked. We remain committed to pursuing an open, friendly, and pragmatic policy towards our closest neighbors – Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized. 

It is no coincidence that the Head of our state, immediately after his election, made his first official visits to Ashgabat and Astana, thereby once again confirming our main priority – Central Asia first. 

In this historic address, the Leader of our country declared Tashkent’s firm intention to pursue a constructive policy towards its closest neighbors, resolve accumulated regional problems based on equality, mutual consideration of interests, and the search for reasonable compromises, and create a belt of friendship and prosperity, security, and stability around Uzbekistan, a country located in the heart of the region. 

The Leader of Uzbekistan defined the main tasks of regional policy for the government and foreign policy office: completion of border settlement processes, joint resolution of issues of rational and fair water use, building the connectivity of countries in economic, environmental, transport, and logistics, scientific and technological development, etc.

Changes in Tashkent’s approaches to building political, diplomatic, economic, cultural and humanitarian interaction in Central Asia created conditions not only for a radical improvement in interstate relations between Uzbekistan and its neighbors, but also laid the foundations for further consolidation and integration of Central Asia in a new format.

In this context, the most significant event for the entire region was the launch of the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia (CMHSCA) on Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative. Today, they have transformed into an effective platform for regional dialogue aimed at jointly building a territory of stability, security, and sustainable development.

The idea of ​​holding regular meetings was first voiced by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in September 2017 at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. At that time, the Head of state stated that the main priority of the country’s foreign policy was “a peaceful and economically prosperous Central Asia” and all efforts of Uzbekistan would be aimed at “building up dialogue, constructive interaction and strengthening good neighborliness”.

In November of the same year, on his initiative, the High-Level International Conference “Central Asia: One Past and Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity” was convened in Samarkand. The foreign ministers of the region’s five states who participated in it supported the proposals of the Leader of Uzbekistan to establish Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State. It was then that the Samarkand Consensus was formed, where all countries declared their intention to develop regional cooperation, jointly discuss, seek ways, and make decisions on issues of current importance to themselves and the region. 

The international community also supported the Samarkand Consensus. Just six months later, in June 2018, at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region”. It highly appreciates the efforts and initiatives of the Central Asian countries to strengthen stability and economic cooperation in the region.

This made it possible to radically change the situation in Central Asia in just a few years. First, the existing rather complex and sensitive problems on border issues were overcome.

Uzbekistan has fully completed the legal registration of its border with Kazakhstan and delimited its border with Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Dozens of checkpoints on the border have resumed their activities, significantly facilitating the movement of people between our countries.

Today, the borders between Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries can be called bridges of friendship and good neighborliness. This is confirmed by the procedure for crossing the Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan border with the presentation of an internal document – a general civil ID card, which has been in effect since September 1, 2023. A similar project is being discussed with the Kazakh side.

At the summit in Astana, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed mutually recognizing national ID cards in Central Asia and developing mass tourism products based on the “One Tour – Whole Region” principle.

At the same time, we see significant progress in describing the Tajikistan – Kyrgyzstan border. More than 90 percent of the border’s total length has been agreed upon.

In other words, this suggests that, despite all the disagreements, it is quite possible to resolve acute, sensitive, and complex problems if guided by the principles of mutual trust and the parties’ willingness to reach mutually acceptable compromises that consider each other’s interests.

A complete reboot in our vast region has benefitted everyone. Thanks to the high level of consolidation, progress in the region’s economy is noticeable. Cooperation and intraregional trade turnover have increased significantly, and ties with foreign partners have expanded.

Intraregional trade has increased by 4.4 times, the number of joint ventures by 5 times, and the volume of mutual investments by almost 2 times.

Today, Central Asia has become a more interconnected region capable of jointly realizing emerging opportunities. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have created investment funds to finance large joint projects. Within the framework of these institutions, cooperation projects have already begun in the automotive, electrical, textile, and agricultural industries.

For example, a joint venture for the production of passenger cars exists in Kazakhstan. In Tajikistan, a plant for the production of household appliances has been launched. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have created a joint venture to construct solar power plants in Issyk Kul region.

At Uzbekistan’s initiative, work began with all the region’s countries to create border trade zones. A mechanism for forming such zones with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan has been launched.

As a result, the region’s economy has grown 6.3 percent over the past seven years, amounting to about $450 billion.

In line with general changes, significant progress is observed in water, energy, and environmental issues.

Significant in this context was the roadmap signed in 2023 between Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan for the joint construction of the Kambarata HPP-1, as well as agreements to jointly resolve the issue of water discharges from the Toktogul reservoir during the summer growing season. 

No less important is the agreement reached between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan on the operating mode of the Bahri Tojik (Kayrakum) reservoir during the growing season, which opened up the possibility of ensuring the necessary water supply in the middle reaches of the Syrdarya River. 

Under the new geopolitical conditions, Central Asia is once again regaining the role that it played during the Great Silk Road, acting as a connecting bridge between East and West, North and South, and a crossroads of various economic interests. The region is becoming an essential element of transport and communication routes within the Trans-Caspian and North-South routes and new projects linking Central and South Asia, diversifying corridors from China to Europe.

A breakthrough in diversifying transport and transit routes for Central Asia was the conclusion of an agreement to construct the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, designed to connect our region with the European railway network.

Over the years, cultural and humanitarian exchange has noticeably intensified. Today, cross-cultural years, cinema days, exhibitions, concerts and tours, and joint sports events have become regular events. A clear indicator of this is the growth of intraregional tourism, which has already reached about 80 percent of all tourist destinations preferred by citizens of our countries.

In Uzbekistan alone, this figure was 6.6 million in 2023. Most of them are tourists from neighboring countries.

Another key component of Uzbekistan’s comprehensive strategy for transforming Central Asia into a zone of stability and sustainable development is achieving long-term peace in Afghanistan. With the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as President of Uzbekistan in 2016, Tashkent’s Afghan policy has acquired a systemic and comprehensive character. A special feature of the new approach towards Afghanistan is the consolidation of efforts by the states of the region and the entire world community to achieve long-term peace on Afghan territory and ensure the integration of this country into world economic relations with the region.

In the special resolution of the UN General Assembly “Strengthening the Connectivity between Central and South Asia” adopted in 2022 at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a special role in establishing ties between Central Asia and South Asia, a region with a combined population of almost 2 billion people, is assigned to Afghanistan.

Another significant feature of Tashkent’s current Afghan policy is that Uzbekistan views Afghanistan as an organic, integral part of Central Asia.

It is no secret that the new Central Asia has become a region of attraction for world powers and leading states. Today, Central Asia is actively interacting within the framework of more than 10 “CA+” formats with almost 40 countries and two regional organizations. Speaking about the potential and possibilities of cooperation, it should be noted that the states in this economic space account for 75 percent of the world’s GDP and are home to about four billion of the world’s population.

For Uzbekistan and the Central Asian countries, these are sources for attracting foreign investment in key sectors of our economies, new markets for promoting our goods and services, and multi-million tourist flows.

Central Asia, for our partners, is a promising, capacious market with more than 80 million consumers. It is home to 7 percent of the world’s oil and gas reserves, respectively, and large deposits of rare earth critical materials necessary for digital and green transformation. In particular, the reserves of 10 critical materials available in the region range from 5.2 percent to 38.6 percent.

Central Asia also has a growing volume of competitive labor resources. According to UN estimates, by 2050, the region’s population will exceed 100 million people. At the same time, the region will remain one of the youngest – the population’s average age will be about 30 years.

It must be acknowledged that Central Asia has essentially already become an independent player on the world stage, strengthening its subjectivity. Moreover, our countries actively act from common or similar positions in building relationships with external partners.

The results of the transformations in Central Asia are highly valued and recognized worldwide. In his speech at the last summit of the heads of state of Central Asia, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Central Asia, the Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Kaha Imnadze, drew attention to the new quality of strategic partnership in the region, pointing out that “Central Asia in many dimensions can become a unique model of regional cooperation and an example for other regions of the world on how to build good-neighborly relations for the benefit of all peoples living in the region”.

The Chairman of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy of the Russian Federation Fyodor Lukyanov also shares a similar opinion. According to him, stability and openness have become the hallmark of Central Asia.

“Uzbekistan plays the decisive role in these positive processes under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, under whom the policy has changed towards a firm line of openness and inclusion in the process. Such dynamics set the tone for the entire region and provide an example for everyone else. It is the activity and energy of the leadership of Uzbekistan and personally President Mirziyoyev that give the impetus needed to transform objective trends into real processes”, Mr. Lukyanov believes.

Hudson Institute (USA) expert Richard Weitz noted the speed with which Shavkat Mirziyoyev contributed to improving relations with other Central Asian states, suggesting that these partners expected and welcomed Tashkent’s new regional approach.

According to him, the country is located in the heart of Eurasia, among many possible East-West and North-South transport corridors, making Tashkent’s support critically important for large regional projects and vital for the stability and prosperity of Eurasia.

International experts recognize the important role of building a regional identity for Central Asian countries in promoting rapprochement with neighbors. Professor Zhao Huasheng of Fudan University in Shanghai notes that Central Asian countries increasingly recognize a common identity both within the region and outside it.

In his opinion, Central Asia as a single entity is more recognizable globally, has more opportunities to strengthen its international authority, and can have more weight in relations with the outside world.

The unity of views at the Astana Summit was also manifested in the desire to form a Central Asian identity as an essential condition for affirming joint responsibility and solidarity in enhancing the well-being and prosperity of Central Asia. As President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev rightly noted in his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2023, “We can confidently say that the awareness of regional identity unites our peoples, and this feeling is becoming stronger”.

The second cycle of meetings of the leaders of the “Central Asian Five”, launched in Astana, assigns Uzbekistan special responsibility for the progressive promotion of comprehensive regional cooperation as the host country of the Central Asian Heads of State Summit in 2025. What does this mean?

First, the political dialogue should be further deepened.

Strengthening political trust based on openness, equality, respect, and consideration of interests is necessary. In this regard, continuing and expanding regular political dialogue at all levels will play an important role, giving it a systemic and multifaceted nature.

Coordinating efforts closely is necessary to ensure security, which is becoming even more relevant in the context of the global economic crisis and the tough confrontation of various centers of power.

In these circumstances, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, voiced within the framework of the 6th CMHSCA, to develop a Concept for Ensuring Regional Security and Stability is of great importance.

Second, our priority task should be to achieve a strategic breakthrough in the economic direction.

It is essential to highlight cooperation in trade, investment, technology, and innovation as imperatives of our interaction. The economy should become the framework and driving force of mutually beneficial partnership.

We advocate for our region’s formation as one of the world’s centers of economic growth and investment activity.

The President of Uzbekistan noted that ultimately, “Our strategic goal should be the formation of a Single Regional Market in the long term”.

Third, promoting joint industrial cooperation projects.

Today, the region’s countries are fully prepared to cooperate in this direction. At the Astana Summit, the President of Uzbekistan proposed creating a Single Map of the Region’s industrialization and launching a Council at the ministerial level. The importance of developing a network of trade, logistics, and industrial hubs in border areas was emphasized.

Fourth, the implementation of the transport and communications potential.

An important step to deepen cooperation in this area could be the development of a Strategy for Regional Transport Corridors in Central Asia, the adoption of a Regional Program for Sustainable Development of the Central Asian Transport System, and the formation of a Regional Council for Transport Communications of the Central Asian countries to coordinate interaction in the development of the transport and logistics sector in the region.

Fifth, cooperation in the energy sector.

There is a need to develop joint approaches to forming a common energy market in Central Asia.

Increasing mutual supplies of energy resources, building energy facilities, implementing joint projects for the widespread introduction of renewable energy sources, and modern resource-saving and environmentally friendly technologies can play special roles here.

Sixth, adaptation to climate change and ensuring food security.

In our region, problems associated with global climate change, water shortages, desertification, and soil degradation are worsening, resulting in falling crop yields.

The Central Asian countries are fully in agreement on the need for coordinated cooperation to counteract the effects of climate change, especially in the context of increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

In turn, issues of food security and stable food supplies are becoming extremely important in the context of disruptions in the supply chain of agricultural products caused by climate change and growing tensions in global politics.

In this context, strengthening interaction in agro-industrial cooperation seems important to create high-yielding varieties of agricultural crops, search for more rational irrigation methods, and introduce water-saving technologies and innovations in the agricultural sector.

Seventh, strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.

We must continue our efforts to expand cooperation in culture, science, education, and tourism. The growing unity of the Central Asian countries provides unprecedented opportunities to turn the region into one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world.

We have all the opportunities for further development of the regional tourism industry. Of the more than 1,000 sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, over 20 are located in the region, creating enormous potential for further popularizing the region’s cultural and historical sites.

The practical implementation of all these priority tasks requires constant “feeding” of regional interaction at all levels with new scientifically based ideas and proposals. In this regard, the President of Uzbekistan proposed holding a meeting of the Central Asian Expert Forum of leading analytical centers and academic circles in our country to jointly develop conceptual recommendations and proposals that can be considered during the next summit of heads of state.

In this context, special responsibility is assigned to the International Institute for Central Asia, a unique research organization established on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

In general, the process of regional rapprochement in Central Asia launched in 2017 as a result of large-scale reforms in Uzbekistan and Tashkent’s innovative policy of good neighborliness and cooperation has now acquired a sustainable and irreversible character.

The country’s transition to openness and the practical implementation of Central Asia’s declared priority in the Foreign Policy Doctrine of the President of Uzbekistan has ensured a radical renewal of political and economic processes in the region.

Political will, unprecedented pragmatism, strengthening of confidence-building measures, flexibility of diplomacy of the Head of state, and readiness for reasonable compromises to resolve key interstate and regional problems have ensured a strategic shift in Central Asia from disputes and disagreements to mutual understanding and cooperation.

Consolidating these revolutionary approaches during intensive bilateral contacts and Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State affirmed the countries’ shared commitment to building a peaceful, stable, sustainably developing, and prosperous Central Asia.

This peaceful, creative transformation of a strategically important region in the heart of Eurasia, which continues against the backdrop of global cataclysms, is already a phenomenon of world politics, which has become the subject of expert discussions and will be the topic of future in-depth scientific research.

One thing is certain: the leading architect of New Central Asia, who is taking shape before our eyes and has already written his name into the region’s history, is the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The presentation of the Honorary Badge of the Heads of State of Central Asia to the President of Uzbekistan at the Central Asian Summit in Astana was yet another recognition of the personal contribution of the Leader of our country to the development of friendship, good neighborliness, and mutual understanding between the states of the region.

Abdulaziz Kamilov,

Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Foreign Policy